Thursday, October 27, 2011

Institute for Constitutional History Seminars: Warren Court Legacy, Revolutionary Origins of American Constitutionalism

Another announcement from the Institute for Constitutional History: next semester it will offer two new seminars for advanced graduate students and junior faculty.

Equal Justice Under Law: The Enduring Legacy of the Warren Court, 1953-1969, led by Stephen Wermiel (American University Washington College of Law).

Program Content:

This seminar will examine the Warren Court of the
1950s and 1960s, stressing politics, doctrine, and the strong judicial
personalities of the period. Topics covered will include the Court’s
transformative role in civil rights and civil liberties, the rights of the
accused, the electoral process and access to the courts.The seminar will explore both the
politics of the Warren Court and the Warren Court’s impact on the politics of
the nation.

Logistics:

Thursday evenings, 6:00–8:00 p.m., February 9 and 23, March 1, 8, 22 and
29. The seminar will meet in Room
415 of Burns Hall at The George Washington University Law School, 2000 H Street
NW, Washington, DC 20052.

The Revolutionary of Origins of American Constitutionalism, led by Pauline Maier (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and R. B. Bernstein (New York Law School).

Program Content:

This seminar will explore the origins of American
constitutionalism and law in the Anglo-American past and the arguments and
achievements of the revolutionary period (roughly 1764-1789).Its six sessions will examine
the ideology and organizational forms of the resistance to Britain, look
closely at the first state constitutions (the world’s first written
constitutions) and the issues they raised and to some extent resolved, then
turn to the Articles of Confederation, the Federal Convention, the Constitution,
state ratification debates, and the contributions of the First Federal Congress
in fleshing out the new constitutional system.Although the assigned readings will include prominent
secondary works, the seminar will focus on critical documents of the time
including the resolutions of the Sons of Liberty (1766), state non-importation
associations (1767-70), and the first and second Continental Congresses
(especially between 1774 and 1776); Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and John
Adams’s “Thoughts on Government” (1776); the first state constitutions,
including those of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts; the
Articles of Confederation; Madison’s “Notes of Debates” in the Federal
Convention; the Constitution of the United States; selections from the state
ratification debates; the Judiciary Act of 1789, and the twelve amendments to
the Constitution that Congress recommended in September 1789 (of which ten were
enacted and eventually became known as the “Bill of Rights”).

Logistics:

Friday afternoons, 3:00–5:00 p.m., February 17 and 24, March 2, 9, 16
and 23. The seminar will meet at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central
Park West, New York City.

Here's the information about the application process and cost:

Application Process:

The seminar is designed for graduate students and junior faculty in
history, political science, law, and related disciplines. All participants will
be expected to complete the assigned readings and participate in seminar
discussions. Although the Institute cannot offer academic credit directly for
the seminar, students may be able to earn graduate credit through their home
departments by completing an independent research project in conjunction with
the seminar. Please consult with your advisor and/or director of graduate
studies about these possibilities. Space is limited, so applicants should send
a copy of their c.v. and a short statement on how this seminar will be useful
to them in their research, teaching, or professional development.Materials will be accepted only by
email until December
1, 2011.Successful applicants
will be notified soon thereafter.For further
information, please contact Maeva Marcus at (202) 994-6562 or send an email.

Additional Information:

There is no tuition
or other charge for this seminar, though participants will be expected to
acquire the assigned books on their own.